Particulates With No Special Meaning
by sansticonderoga
Summary: Brennan, loving Booth, at her sly best.


_I could probably come up with 50 different ways for Brennan to propose to Booth because I'm (sort of) convinced that Hart Hansen will never let it happen. Enjoy!_

Marry Me, Booth

Booth and Brennan are walking along the reflecting pool at the Mall. It is a beautiful, bright day, with a temperature of 60 degrees. The sky is clear and blue. There is no wind, and not one cloud in the sky. There is a faint sound of air planes approaching. Booth looks up.

With a question in his voice he states, "Huh, several different types of aircraft, all in formation. Have I seen that before?"

Booth hears Brennan make a sound of discomfort; he takes his gaze away from the sky and looks directly at her. He is concerned.

"Bones, are you feeling okay?"

Brennan exhales, "My hands are retaining water. My ring is so tight…"

As she is rubbing her hand and finger, her dolphin rings flies off into the grass.

"Oh no, my dolphin ring! Help me find it, please Booth."

Booth and Brennan are on their hands and knees, feeling through the grass for her ring. The faint sound of the airplane engines continues high in the sky. Neither looks up. Both are very intently sifting through the grass.

Continuing to look for her ring Bones asks, "Why haven't you asked me to marry you?"

Booth's heart jumps in his chest, but his gaze remains steady on the grass. His intent of looking for her dolphin ring intensifies.

"Do you want me to ask you to marry me?"

Without making any eyes contact she answers, "No."

Also without looking up Booth responds, "That is why."

A small sigh of disappointment escapes Booth. He continues to search the grass for her ring.

Brennan picks something up from the grass but tosses it over her shoulder. She asks Booth, "Did you propose to Rebecca and Hannah because you thought they wanted you to propose?"

Without thinking Booth responds, "No. I proposed to them because I wanted to marry them."

And Brennan concludes, "But you don't want to marry me?"

Still kneeling in the grass, but looking now at Brennan, Booth states, "I would love to marry you. You don't want to marry me."

"But how do you know that?" Brennan retorts.

"Because you just told me that! " Booth responds with a little frustration.

Brennan, in a correcting but not condescending tone, replies, "No, I told you that I didn't' want you to ask me to marry you."

"Is this some kind of squinty intellect game, Bones? If so, I really don't want to play."

This time Brennan's response is more tempered with kindness. "But marriage is important to you."

With a small smile, Booth confirms, "Yes, marriage is important to me. But it is not important to you Bones. Why would I ask you to do something that I know is not important to you?"

In her logical way Brennan states, "Well, maybe it is important to me simply because it is important to you."

Booth smiles at her with appreciation.

"Whenever you are ready to get married Bones, you let me know."

Somewhat incorrigibly Brennan responds, "I'll send you a signal. Or write you a note." Then with a little confusion she adds, "What if you're not ready when I'm ready?"

"Well, we've been there before. And we've been through it. Ah-ha! And here we are."

Booth straightens up, still on his knees in the grass. He smiles as he lifts her dolphin ring from the grass, holding it between his thumb and index finger. Behind Booth's head, up high in the sky, the airplanes are leaving.

"Oh, good. There is mine ring, because here is yours. "

Brennan is holding a simple gold band out towards Booth. As she is smiling at him her eyes shift up in the sky. Booth follows her gaze. In the beautiful, bright blue sky the planes have written the message, _Marry Me Booth_.

Still looking at her signal and her note Booth joyously states, "Oh that is great Bones. I love that. "

Still smiling, Brennan adds, "It's just smoke Booth, particulates with no special powers. "

"It is amazingly powerful to me Bones."

"Are you indicating the affirmative?" Brennan asks, trying unsuccessfully to get up.

"Absolutely," Booth states as he crawls over to where she is.

"I will need your help to get up."

"Let's just sit here for a while and look at it."

Booth and Brennan lay back in the grass and together look to the sky.

People walking about the Mall begin to point up to the sky. Some voice their comments.

A young woman strolling along with her baby in a carriage states, "Oh that is soooo romantic."

A female jogger to her running companion adds, Hahhwwwww, I'm going to cry."

A man wearing shades listening to iTunes states, "whoa. That's one expensive proposal. Someone's pregnant."

And an old woman sitting on a bench with her husband of 40 years looks to the sky and then silently reaches over to hold his hand.

"You know Bones, I have never looked at this Mall the same way since I've met you. Now the sky has taken on a whole new meaning for me."

"I know Booth. You've changed my life so much too. Thank you."


End file.
